Systems and methods to capture and utilize temperature information in a battery system

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various systems and methods for capturing and utilizing temperature information in a battery pack. An electrical measurement system may be configured to determine a subdivision electrical parameter associated with one or more subdivisions, and a thermal measurement system configured to determine and track a thermal parameter associated with one or more subdivisions. A battery model may utilize the thermal parameter and the electrical parameter to estimate a characteristic of one or more battery subdivisions. In some embodiments, the battery model may further estimate a second thermal parameter of a second subdivision based upon a location of the second subdivision within the battery pack and based on the estimated characteristic of a first subdivision. Some embodiments may further estimate a life assessment of one or more subdivisions based at least in part on the subdivision electrical parameter and the thermal parameter.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system to capture and utilize temperature information in a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions, the system comprising:
 a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions; 
 an electrical measurement system in electrical communication with the battery pack and configured to determine a subdivision electrical parameter associated with a first subdivision selected from among of the plurality of subdivisions; 
 a thermal measurement system in thermal communication with the battery pack and configured to determine and track a thermal parameter associated with the first subdivision over a plurality of charge and discharge cycles of the battery pack; and 
 a battery model configured to estimate a characteristic of the first subdivision based at least in part upon the subdivision electrical parameter, the thermal parameter, and a geometry of the first subdivision, to estimate a second thermal parameter of a second subdivision based upon a location of the second subdivision within the battery pack and based on the estimated characteristic of the first subdivision and to estimate a subdivision life variation between the first subdivision and the second subdivision; 
 wherein the battery model comprises a Monte Carlo simulation. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the battery model is further configured to estimate a cell voltage polarity response of the first subdivision. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal parameter comprises data associated with a plurality of charge and discharge cycles of the battery pack. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Monte Carlo simulation comprises a single cell model with a plurality of samples. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic comprises one of a subdivision temperature and a subdivision terminal voltage. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery life model configured to estimate a life assessment of the first subdivision based at least in part on the subdivision electrical parameter and the thermal parameter. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of subdivisions comprises one or more battery cells. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic comprises a state of charge of the first subdivision. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the life assessment comprises one of an estimate of an increase in electrical resistance of the subdivision and a decrease in capacity of the subdivision. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the increase in electrical resistance comprises an annual increase and annual decrease in capacity. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a control system configured to receive the state of charge of the first subdivision and to control discharge of the battery system based on the state of charge. 
 
     
     
       12. A method of capturing and utilizing temperature information in a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions, the method comprising:
 providing a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions; 
 determining a subdivision electrical parameter associated with a first subdivision selected from among of the plurality of subdivisions; 
 determining and tracking a thermal parameter associated with the first subdivision over a plurality of charge and discharge cycles of the battery pack; 
 generating an estimate of a characteristic of the first subdivision based at least in part on the subdivision electrical parameter, the thermal parameter, and a geometry of the first subdivision; an estimate of a second thermal parameter of a second subdivision based upon a location of the second subdivision within the battery pack and based on the estimated characteristic of the first subdivision; and 
 estimating a subdivision life variation between the first subdivision and the second subdivision; 
 wherein generating the estimate of the characteristic of the first subdivision comprises using a Monte Carlo simulation. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising estimating a cell voltage polarity response of one or more of the first subdivision. 
     
     
       14. A system to capture and utilize temperature information in a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions, the system comprising:
 a battery pack comprising a plurality of subdivisions; 
 an electrical measurement system configured to determine a subdivision electrical parameter associated with a first subdivision selected from among the plurality of subdivisions; 
 a thermal measurement system configured to determine and track a thermal parameter associated with a subdivision over a plurality of charge and discharge cycles of the battery pack; 
 a battery model configured to estimate a temperature rise of the first subdivision based at least in part on a two resistor-capacitor thermal network model and a geometry of the first subdivision; and 
 a control system configured to receive the temperature rise of the first subdivision and to estimate a state of charge of the subdivision based at least in part on the temperature rise; 
 wherein the battery model comprises a Monte Carlo simulation.